Well, money's not the issue - I have like 6 replacement grommet sets. I'm wondering if there could be any structural or wear issues if I don't replace the whole set. I'll probably do the whole set anyway but I'd like to get a little more knowledgeable about everything involved.

If the bumper guard is still good and you'd like a little more life without replacing them, just have your stringer use tubing to protect the strings from rubbing against the frame. Also you could try the Fittex replacement grommet system......

If the bumper guard is still good and you'd like a little more life without replacing them, just have your stringer use tubing to protect the strings from rubbing against the frame. Also you could try the Fittex replacement grommet system......

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my stringer = me :-D

I've never heard of either tubing or Fittex grommet system but I'll check them out, thanks.

You could pop out the old ones and pop in the new ones, but keep the old set handy in case you need to use a portion of them for something down the road. Those old parts can come in handy sometimes.

The bumper part of the grommet set is really just a second skin that acts as a scuff guard - if you only replace a part of it, there's no structural issue for the frame. The grommets mostly protect the strings from being cut by the frame and replacing either part only makes the frame better off. When individual grommets start to crack and even fall off, it puts the strings at risk for premature wear, not the frame.

One problem that hasn't been mentioned yet that could come up with the first time you string it (that is, if you don't replace the full grommet set) is the tension difference. New grommets are never fully settled in the first stringing, and the end tension feels about 2 lb. less than what the reference tension you used normally feels like.

In this case, the strings through the new grommets would feel 2 lb. lower than those string through the old grommets, because they are already settled in. This could result in non-uniform stringbed, but like I said, only for the first stringing most likely.

I don't mean this as an insult, but if you haven't heard of tubing or individual grommets, I'd bet you'll have some problems getting grommets in. They don't just "snap" in. You have to work them in often. Plus, some of the Yonex grommets are flared. They are much tougher to get out. The replacement grommets won't be flared. There is a tool you can get to flare them, but most people don't.

I don't mean this as an insult, but if you haven't heard of tubing or individual grommets, I'd bet you'll have some problems getting grommets in. They don't just "snap" in. You have to work them in often. Plus, some of the Yonex grommets are flared. They are much tougher to get out. The replacement grommets won't be flared. There is a tool you can get to flare them, but most people don't.

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Actually, getting the grommets in and out was much easier than I expected. Maybe the RDS001's grommets are easier than usual because they're the 'soft' ones, but it only took me about 10-15 minutes total.

A few of them sounded like they "snapped" in and the rest that were tougher went in easily with just a little help from my awl.

Fittex grommets are garbage.
I put them in every hole in one racquet, and 1/2 of them were cracked within a couple of months.
Not to mention the ridiculous price TW charges for them (for the same price elsewhere, I got 10 times as many Fittex grommets - and I'm not exaggerating).
It would be better to cut up a regular grommet strip into individual grommets.

Tubing is always a good thing to have - comes in very handy.

Yes, grommets are intended to protect the strings from the frame - but they also protect the frame from the stings. If the edge of the frame isn't sharp enough to cut the string, the string will wear through the frame at that point - and it doesn't take very long.